PROPANENITRILE, 3-(DIMETHYLAMINO)-, mixt. with 2,2'-OXYBIS(N,N-DIMETHYLETHANAMINE)

Niax® catalyst esn appears as a liquid mixture consisting of 95% dimethylaminopropionitrile by mass (C5H10O2, CAS: 1738-25-6) and 5% bis(2-[dimethylamino)ethyl] ether (C8H20N2O, CAS: 3033-62-3). Used as a catalyst in the manufacture of flexible polyurethane foams. Sale of the material was discontinuted in1978 after its use was linked to urological disorders among workers at a number of factories manufacturing these foams.

A liquid mixture of 95% dimethylaminopropionitrile and 5% bis(2-dimethylamino)ethyl ether; [NIOSH]

A liquid mixture. [Note: Used in the past as a catalyst in the manufacture of flexible polyurethane foams.

A mixture of 95% dimethylaminopropionitrile and 5% bis(2-dimethylamino)ethyl ether; \\ In May 1978, OSHA and NIOSH jointly published the Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) 26: NIAX® Catalyst ESN. In this CIB, OSHA and NIOSH recommended that occupational exposure to NIAX® Catalyst ESN, its components, dimethylaminopropionitrile and bis(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)ether, as well as formulations containing either component, be minimized. Exposures should be limited to as few workers as possible, while minimizing workplace exposure concentrations with effective work practices and engineering controls. Exposed workers should be carefully monitored for potential disorders of the nervous and genitourinary system. Although substitution is a possible control measure, alternatives to NIAX® Catalyst ESN or its components should be carefully evaluated with regard to possible adverse health effects. [NIOSH Pocket Guide Appendix]

Excerpt from NIOSH Pocket Guide for Niax® Catalyst ESN:

(General first aid procedures)

Used in the past as a catalyst in the manufacture of flexible polyurethane foams; [NIOSH]

See Appendix C in NIOSH Pocket Guide. The neurotoxicity was apparently due to DMAPN (dimethylaminopropionitrile). See NIOSHTIC Record # 57566. CIB 26 published by NIOSH & OSHA in 1978.